


No Other One in Budapest

by cxhztile



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: // dysphoria (?), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Trans Luke Skywalker, about half the tagged characters are only mentioned, extremely gay, han is too soft in this i'm sorry, i feel bad for not writing much leia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 11:22:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13612320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cxhztile/pseuds/cxhztile
Summary: (The title makes sense after the last chapter)Luke's got a big secret to keep. But, of course, it slips to someone close when he least expects it.[Big thanks to Reese, my love, for putting up with me whilst writing this





	1. A New Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few events from "A New Hope" with a twist

“ _Hey, kid. Would ya stop fidgeting for a minute?_ ”

“Or I’ll make ya go sit with her royal highness back there.” Han groaned, at this point fed-up even more with the weight of Luke’s restlessness on top.

To Luke’s defense, chest constraints were in no way comfortable. Yes, they hid any rigidness in one’s chest, not that he had much to begin with thankfully, but nonetheless, they would tear into someone’s ribs faster than a Sand Person could strike them down with a blow.

Grumbling, he took it upon himself to exit and try to peel the fabric for temporary relief. He hid away in a secluded cabin in the Falcon, where he was sure nobody would see him, and unhooked the clasps on the constraint. The slight draft bit at his now exposed chest, but it was better than the state it had just been in. The tissues were nearly marred from the constant mistreatment, but it was no worry to him how he passed, so long as he did. He ran his thumb over the inflamed crease under his, what he called “chest lumps", having come about by the previously mentioned digging. With those moments of freedom, he had realized he likely shouldn’t have worn in so long; he had clasped it on directly before the ship landed on the Death Star’s hangar and had worn it since, totaling a few hours of use, give or take. This knowledge gave him the instinct to put on his looser, makeshift one. It was fraying a bit by this point, having used it for years back home and only receiving his proper one at one minor spike in income. This reminded him of how many people actually knew of his… situation. Of course, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru had known, as they were the ones he first told. They weren’t heavily surprised, having grown acclimated to his mannerisms and ways. Besides them, ol’Ben learned the last time that they met; he also dismissed it as a notion he sensed would happen.

He caught his thought process, knowing if he went down that road too far, he’d risk someone accidentally seeing his bare chest, something he was not ready to face. He massaged his sore skin for a moment before tying the makeshift constraint around his chest and fixed his tunic upon his torso.

“You were back there for a while, junior. ‘d almost guess you were doing… Something.” Han smugly remarked as soon as Luke had gained the confidence to reenter the cockpit. His face turned a bright shade of red as he sat back down and as Han continued to smirk viciously.

If only he knew what had really happened behind that closed door.

**

Seconds after landing his X-Wing back in the hangar only minutes after the Battle of Yavin, Luke felt a weight off his chest; in the literal and metaphorical sense. Metaphorically, as, of course, he had just singlehandedly blew up the Death Star. The literal being his homemade constraint had become loose and slid down to his waist in his suit. But, that proved to be the least of his problems. He was now determined to find Leia and catch her reaction. It wasn’t hard to find her once he was outside the ship and they clasped arms quickly once together. The thing that caught him off-guard was the approaching figure behind him. He turned his attention and found their scoundrel of a smuggler, in which over-excitement was an understatement. The reunion of the trio was much more powerful than any worry of appearance or tinge of dysphoria that could have come.

**

“Han!” Luke shouted, voice cracking immensely as it always did when he raised his voice. Even though he had been on testosterone for a little while, it still hadn’t gotten to where his voice would still be deeper as his volume increased. Han stood baffled in the doorway; he merely wanted to come check on the poor kid as he got dressed for the medal ceremony and was not expecting that moment at all.

The reason it happened was because Luke had no shirt on, not even his constraint, and only had his tunic he wore on Tatooine pressed against his chest, which he was thankful he had it there. Neither Han nor Leia still knew yet, but he was assuming Han would realize now. Both stood still bewildered, causing goosebumps to run all across Luke’s skin. Moments later, he realized the article of clothing he was searching for was directly under Hans foot and it made him swallow hard.

“Han. Pick up your left boot and either kick or throw that garment to me – please.” He said softly and monotone. Han complied, dusting it off before tossing it across the cabin. Their lingering eye contact then flashed a warning from Luke’s bright blue eyes for Han to get out, which he then did. 

“Holler if you need anything.” was the last thing he said before he went back out. Luke nodded as he began to fumble with the elastic-like fabric piece. Usually, he was able to get it on in a split second, but his nervousness was making his hands shake at every movement. He sighed heavily before peeking his head out, unsurprisingly seeing Han not too astray from the door frame. Luke waved him in and they stood silent for a moment. It was definitely awkward to stand shirtless and on the verge of flashing someone, especially someone who was already so close.

It was Han who finally spoke, murmuring, “Come on, kid. We haven’t got all day.”

Luke’s face turned a rosy pink but nodded anyway.

“Alright. To get this over and done with quick and painlessly, undo those clasps you’ve already got and lay it the other way around, with the clasps in the back.” Luke almost had the nerve to question how he knew this information, but it wasn’t his place to ask and he didn’t have the heart to anyway. He flipped it around, uncomfortable for a moment as his chest dropped, but was contained shortly after, even after the first clasps. It was a bit unexpected that Han’s hands, despite being rough and worn from years of his craft, could do the tiny claps so easy.

After finishing, Han stood up, knee a little sore from being placed on the ground as he knelt down. Luke purged his fingers under the garment to fix it against his skin and was delighted to find it was actually doing its job better as is than usual. He normally did it from the front because it was easier access but it didn’t seem to retain as well. He turned to face the older man, whose face held a grin, and was beaming.

“Say, kid, you’re lookin’–” Han’s sentence was cut off by the sudden body against his and a grasp around him. Luke was smiling into his abdomen, and, honestly, that made his day. He returned the hug, hand engulfed in Luke’s golden locks, almost tempted to kiss his head or some other minor affection. He felt a sniff against his ribs, and softly shook his head a little. 

“Aww, kid. Don’t get sappy just yet.” He chuckled, messing up the poor kid’s hair as they both stepped back. Luke wipe his eyes against his wrist and inhaled deeply.

“Now, put a shirt on before you freeze.” Han scolded as he  turned on his heel to exit. Right before he did, Luke caught his wrist.

“Promise you won’t tell Leia or anyone?”

“You have my word. By the way, that’s one price you already owe me, junior.”

“Deal.”

**_{–End “A New Hope”–}_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last part of this chapter is the idea that survived in my brain and started this entire fic. Do enjoy otherwise!!


	2. Empire Strikes Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Empire Strikes Back" except,, ya know,, shifted lol

_“Then I’ll see you in hell!”_

Han angrily shouted.

Only minutes before he had been bickering with the princess, unsurprisingly. This time on the matter of him threatening to leave, remarking, “If I could ever get my sh*t together, I’d get out of here and not see any of you again.” It was usually an empty threat, but he finally had enough to pay his debt to Jabba and get a price off his head this time. His choice seemed unwaivered until the news that Luke hadn’t come back from his patrol circle yet. A pit immediately formed in his stomach and dread set in.

While Luke could easily take care of himself, Han still felt that he needed to step up and protect him if necessary. After the unintentionally bonding moment they shared before the medal ceremony three years previous, he felt it only right to be there for the kid and be a comforting figure. But, don’t twist it; he was too hardened to go down ever admitting if he had a soft spot for him or not.

 Another, previously trifling, detail was that only hours before Luke had been complaining to him about something afflicting him. What exactly Han hadn’t been sure, both from not having those experiences but also Luke’s dire need to not outright say the name of things like that. Either way, he hoped the Tauntaun freezing before the first marker statement wasn’t going to happen as he wanted to ride it for a little while longer than that. After minutes of scavenging for him, Han found Luke laying face first int he snow, spouting what he was considering nonsense, and rolled him over at the sign of falling back into unconsciousness. Checking for a pulse made his own heart beat faster, and was relieving when there was still one. Being that close down almost tempted him into planting a kiss but both parties were already getting frostbitten and Luke had gashes all down one half of his face. He thought it a better plan to refrain and just set him in his now dead Tauntaun. He almost vomited up everything in his stomach at the horrid stench of Tauntaun insides and apologized for making Luke have to go in that hell of, literal, rotting flesh. He had, as gently as he could, gotten Luke in there far enough to be the warmest the dead body could manage. As he waited to any sign of rebel ships on patrol, he softly held Luke’s glove covered hand and massaged his knuckles closest to the rest of his hand using his own thumb, hoping the friction would give a minute amount of heat as he half-assedly held his hand

**

After Rogue Two faithfully found them, rehabilitation for Luke began almost immediately after they landed back at base.

About an hour or two later, Han stood with Leia watching the bacta tank work its magic from the other side of a glass wall inlay. Of course, Leia was worried as Luke was a good friend and huge help to the Rebellion, but it egged her curiosity as to the bit of fabric tied around his chest whilst in there. She would have guessed they’d take it off as soon as he got into the medical center.

Truth is, it was because of Han. He threatened everyone on that medical team that he’d blast them if they, in any way, shape, or form, exposed Luke’s situation. He almost considered questioning if they could do anything to help was his top half, knowing Luke would want to at some point, but held his tongue. It was Luke’s decision to make anyway. 

He tapped his foot impatiently the entire time he stood there watching. Seeing Luke vulnerable at any moment was a small fear that had grown inside him and was being currently exhibited. Leia felt a concerned aura flowing off him in great quantities and shot him a look, almost to say, “Calm down; why are you freaking out?”. He only returned her gesture by rolling his eyes giving the impression that he didn’t want to explain. 

He finally stopped chewing his nail once his saw the droid arm extend towards the tank to release its fluid. He turned on his heel and left moments before the liquid actually began to drain, leaving her royal highness to watch alone.

~

Luke tried to keep his uncomfortable shifting on the down-low so Leia, who sat across the room from him, wasn’t going to suspect anything. Not that he could do much to stop his insides from churning as they currently were. It sent pain through the nerves of his lower back, but at this point he was pretty used to, having dealt with it for almost eight years now. Thankfully, his cycles weren’t as debilitating since he had begun testosterone shots nearly three and a half years ago now, giving him some hope it would finally kick in and stop them all together. Once he got into a temporarily comfortable position, he happened to look over in Leia’s direction, catching her gaze in which she flashed a smile, getting one in return.

It was when Han walked in that Luke lit up, which was noticeable by everyone.

“How ya feeling kid? You look strong enough to pull ears off a Gundark!” He chimed as he knelt down next to Luke’s cot.

 “Thanks to you.” Luke responded softly, tenderly looking into Han’s eyes. The direct eye contact then made his heart pound in his chest.

“That’s three you owe me, junior.” Han scuffed, holding up a three finger gesture. Luke cocked an eyebrow for a moment, until he remembered what the very first debt was, in which he then nodded. Leia could hardly see the exchanges due to Han being in the way, but she was beginning to wish they’d just get a room already or something; the loving tension in their voices could be picked out even by a droid.

It had seemed Han was ignoring her, but he turned around and leaned on the edge of the cot, careful not to back up too far into Luke’s legs.

“Well, it seems you were able to keep me here a little while longer.” He chuckled, folding his arms against his chest. Luke sighed, feeling the moments they had just spent lustfully staring at each other wither away as Han decided to pick a fight. He was half-tempted to snatch a fold in his shirt, to pull him backwards, then smack him upside the head. Leia rolled her eyes, ready to rebuttle.

After a few more moments of, seemingly, endless bickering, Luke was on the verge of screaming. All he could manage was to cover his face and throw his head back in a groan. Both Han and Leia turned their attention towards him, each a bit baffled.

“Your arguing always gives me a headache…” He murmured. Leia then took that as a notion in which she could turn on Han and be able to close out this fight.

“It’s evident you clearly care nothing or know about those around you, especially if one is a woman.” She hissed, kneeling for a moment to do something controversial; grab Luke in for a kiss. She flashed a perverse smile before seeing herself out. That quick series of events made Han grumble as he went back to squatting at Luke’s side. Luke himself was stunned at the sudden experience, even though most would lean back with their hands behind their head and beam. 

Han finished his glare at the door to look back at the blue eyes before him. Luke’s face was looking extremely soft, besides his healing scratches, and his lips… He leaned swiftly. Luke was once again caught off guard but this time, the kiss wasn’t rough at all, which is what he was expecting. Han’s hand snaked its way into Luke’s hair, not the first time it had, Luke’s doing the same. They pulled each other in closer, Han nearly falling into Luke.

At that point, Chewbacca, who had been stood there through everything, shook his head and turned away. He then roared of, “Get a room,” which Leia had wanted to say earlier. “If you’ve got better things to do, then go do them, fuzzball.” Han growled after releasing the kiss session. Chewie shook his head, but did leave. Han then cast his gaze back towards Luke, who was already shifting himself closer to the wall side of his cot, as if to invite Han in. Han easily complied, moving himself directly to Luke’s side. It made his heart race, not remembering the last time he had done this with anyone. Luke curled his hands into his chest as he pressed himself into Han’s. Han wrapped his arms around the smaller body, beginning to rub circles on his lower back with his hand closest to it. This had Luke almost purring as he pressed closer and smile against his collarbone. They shift in-sync to allow their legs to tangle together.

Chewie was the one who warned everyone else in the base not to disturb them; this current moment was setting their relationship at a point between close friends and lovers, which neither was complaining about. And no, still in a million years, Han would never admit he had a weak spot for the kid.

**

At that moment, Luke was severely regretting coming to Dagobah at all.

First, his worries started forming right before he went out into battle, as he wasn’t going to get a goodbye kiss or any similar affection before he did. All he and Han did was exchange a few words of hope for each other’s safety. He was optimistic the battle would favor the rebels, or at least enough to let them live long enough to escape that horrid star system. The Imperial Walkers came down nearly to plan and did the latter option of his optimistic prediction. Once he exitted the system and set course for Dagobah, he sighed, once again putting high hopes into the other two-thirds of the trio making it out alright. Now, he was isolated on this bog they call a planet with a so-called Jedi master who he thought was out of his green mind.

“Many worries to be sensed, there are in your head. Cloud your mind, they do. Yield sensible actions, unclear minds do not.” Yoda huffed, tapping his walking stick against the decomposing plant matter upon the dirt. The speaking alone brought Luke back to reality and made him realize he should probably get up and continue to train. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out, as his constraint was already inhibiting his breathing; he knew he should have put on the makeshift before the day started but he didn’t and was now wishing for the end of his existence.

He, miraculously, pushed through, at least for a few hours. He succumbed to the verge of fatigue after becoming aware that his physical strength was about to fail him, and if that gave out, then he would have nothing to channel the Force through. Nauseated, he undid all but one clasp, not really bothering to pull his tank top down much after that. He was sat on his knees on the soggy ground this entire time, trying to catch his breath yet trying not to vomit. At the moment he least expected it, there was a crack of hard wood against the back of his skull, causing him to wince and curl into himself.

“A foolish and naive boy, you are. Not even Obi-Wan or myself would exert themselves in the way you just have. Kill you, it almost could have.” Yoda lectured, unamused and disappointed the boy would push himself so far with the circumstance he had. There had been many Padwans through out the years who lived the same situation, but would never risk their lives in that way, over just the mere detail of trying to pass as their internal identity.

“Rest, you must. Regain your strength, it will. And eat, we shall.” Yoda nodded before beginning to trail towards his miniature hut. It took a few minutes for Luke to compose himself enough to trudge after the little green fellow. The only way Yoda had convinced Luke to take his constraint off was to let him wear his jacket to hide his torso as a whole. For nearly nine hundred years old, Yoda couldn’t think of any reason to explain why Luke held such stubbornness for that particular issue, sensing he inherited his overall stubbornness from either one of his parents.

Luke had no appetite, likely due to the previous nausea, and played with his stew more than ate it. He knew Yoda was condemning him in his mind for that, but there wasn’t much he could do. When it was time to rest, he watched Yoda scampered into his perfectly sized cot and leaned up against a barren wall himself. He would always be much too large for this shelter, which in a way almost made him feel better about himself, as he was used to being short and have similarly small features to match.

At the point, head mostly set on his shoulder and eyes softly shut, his mind began to race. A pool of dread formed in his stomach, replacing any form of other negative energy already in there before. He almost sensed that something might happen to – Han. Now, his attention was turned towards that issue and had him hug himself tighter. It wasn’t just the matter of not knowing in which direction their relationship was last taken, but also something else; as if Dagobah wasn’t desolate enough, being the only outsider there made him feel even more alone. He would take the musk mixture of Wookiee and near bursting pipes on the Millennium Falcon to the humidity and suffocating swamp air of Dagobah. At least on the Falcon, he was warm and surrounded by those he cared about and who returned that favor. All he could manage was a desperate sigh, knowing any other form of expressing emotional distress would do him no good.

A few days had past since Luke’s near collapse and this current morning, he woke up off-hilter. He could immediately feel that something was going to go wrong but tried to shrug it off and focus on his training. But, just ignoring it didn’t suffice; it stayed in the back of his mind the entire time and bothered him until he succumb to thinking about it mainly. Despite Yoda’s pleas and regards as to why he shouldn’t act upon that instinct, Luke still followed it and left, knowing his friends were more important than his Jedi training.

**

“No, Chewie. You’ve got to take care of the Princess.” Han argued as his Wookiee companion hysterically roared. He completely understood Chewie’s concern, knowing the carbonite tank was not going to be his first choice either, but it was too late by that. Stormtroopers guided him backwards to the platform that would lower him into the freezing pod.

Moments before the process began, Leia on a quick whim realized that any spark of feelings she had felt for this scoundrel weren’t very warranted, but nonetheless she cared about him deeply and also was not pleased to see him set in this position.

“Luke loves you.” She blurted out when she forgot her quick realization, hoping it would give Han a glimpse of optimism before being frozen solid.

“I know.” He replied with a smug grin. Of course, he had known. He knew from the very moment they met that there was something that clicked between them. Had he expected any love to form? Not necessarily, but honestly, was glad it had. A minute later and those thoughts froze in the carbonite along with him.

**

It was amazing that Luke didn’t start bawling right then and there. The duel that had just taken place was utterly too much for him to process at once. He knew Ben’s force spirit, as well as Yoda, would give him hell and some form of “I told you so.” In this case, they’d be right; he was ill-prepared to take on Vader and, therefore it cost him. He was so head-strong and determined he could make it out victorious, but now he was dangling on a metal rod for dear life. He didn’t as much as glance at his open wound, knowing he’d gag if he did. Overall, he just felt helpless and almost like a little, naive kid in an adult’s body.

All of his worries building up then had him start shaking, testing his grip even more. The violent shaking then jerked a few tears into his eyes, but didn’t have the means to wipe them away right now.

~

Somehow, the Falcon and its current crew found him, despite his voice trembling as he tried to call out to Leia. Laid nearly unconscious on a cot, Leia could of sworn he looked almost like a small child in need of coddling, which he likely did. After what he just went through, it was understandable and she almost sorry that there wasn’t someone to — more-so someone in particular. She knew he wouldn’t settle the Han news very well, but there was nothing anybody could do about that now.

He had succumbed to an unconscious state after one last Force reach-out, but soon woke up again during the transition from the Falcon to a proper base. He almost went to rub his right eye until he remembered about his hand, or now lack thereof. Leia had explained to him that there was going to be a metal one constructed in its place, making him a bit skiddish at first but he knew it was better that way and would give him the upper-hand. Through most of the procedure, he caught himself staring out the giant window extremely near to him. For once, his mind wasn’t dwelling on something and he was just taking in the scenery of the nearby planet.

After the tedious task was complete, he cheerily joined Leia over by the window, give even more details on the landscapes of the planet. She was silent for a moment, thinking particularly how to word her next sentence.

“I don’t know if it’s something you’d be interested in, but I inquired about reconstructive surgeries – for other parts of the body, I mean – and was gladly informed they do have the technology to perform a bilateral mastectomy.” She juxtaposed, catching his attention away from the not-so-far-off star system. When she turned to meet his eye contact, his already bright eyes looked as though they were galaxies compacted down.

“That’s wonderful! It almost gives me some hope for the future. But, I’ve gotta ask; how did you find out about…” His trailing was save him from blurting something outright. “I knew from the moment I met you that something was different about you, besides being short for a storm trooper. I, surprisingly, didn’t piece the evidence together until I saw you in the bacta tank on Hoth. I thought it odd that you had a strip of fabric at your chest, but then I later found out it was because of our stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder and his threat to incinerate them all if it wasn’t there.” Luke’s heart fluttered a bit at the sound of that. He had been unconscious the entire time he had been in that tank so he hadn’t know he was wearing his makeshift constraint and the fact that Han “hard-ass” Solo was the one forcing that card was surprising as well as extremely protective. Now, he was missing Han terribly and wished he wasn’t likely on his way to Tatooine, frozen solid. But, at least he knew of the surgery Leia mentioned, and that he finally had a chance to go through with it.

_**{–End “The Empire Strikes Back”–}** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok yea this is where the gay starts let me live,, Also no, I'm not good at end notes clearly lmao


	3. Return of the Jedi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again, "Return of the Jedi" but a wee bit different

_“Who are you?”_

“Someone who cares about you a lot.”

“Leia!” Han exclaimed. He hadn’t heard her voce since… However long ago. So, it was wonderful to hear it again. Not that he could see her, though.

“Wait, where’s Luke?” He followed up, suddenly starting to begin to worry, head cocked slightly as he wasn’t sure where exactly Leia was right in front of him.

“He’s coming, don’t get all panicky yet.” She reassured him. She draped his arm around her shoulders, which was actually a weird feeling in her opinion, and pushed herself off the ground, heaving him up with her. Han was still too out of it from his year long slumber to have really realized the difference, and his limbs would feel numb regardless.

A few minutes and still no clue later, Han ended up in another room, this time constrained by guards. His vision was a smidge better, but regardless, he could sense Luke. Not just from the aura that flowed around him, but knowing that exact sound of gritting teeth; it was a bad habit of Luke’s when he got pissed off and this moment recieved it nonetheless.

“Luke.” Han called out, wondering the tone of reply he’d get.

“Han.” Despite his current mood, Luke’s response was still as amorous and enamored as usual. Blood rushed to Han’s face immediately, having not realized he had been out so long for Luke’s voice to get deeper than before. Luke saw this immediately and cocked a grin, especially because he knew Han wouldn’t be able to see it.

“How are things going?” Han finally asked, after a minute of composing himself.

“As usual…”

“That means it’s pretty bad, right?” He sighed. It seemed as though they could never catch a break – and right now Han was really in need of a break. Mostly just to scoop Luke up and kiss him a million times. While Luke would have gladly taken the affections, his current priority was finding a way out of here. Clearly, the part of the plan about getting Han free went well. But, he hadn’t expected his current sticky predicament.

None of members of the trio were glad to end up outside within the next hour. Luke was being reminded of all his sour feelings for his place he called home for nineteen years. Leia was choked on end by just the collar sitting at her neck and having to be in any vicinity next to the mound of nasty hide Jabba called a body. Han was the least inclined to being angry but still withheld the grumpy vibes he picked up from Luke.

“Don’t bother trying to catch any scenery,” by this sudden sentence, it was clear Luke had caught onto Han was trying to get a glimpse of everything as his eyes were slowly adjusting and coming back to him. “There’s nothing to see anywhere here; I should know, I lived here for nearly all of my life.” He continued.

“Well, isn’t it convienient you’re going to have lived and died here?” Han sarcastixally retorted, knowing it was a dismal thing to joke about but felt appropriate. Luke just stifled a laugh, especially as he knew he wasn’t reaching the release of death just yet, if his brewing plan worked. It seemed simple enough, just required a proper execution. It began to come to life as the hovercraft stopped and he was expected to walk the plank platform. Jabba offered to spare him if he surrendered then and there, but as a Skywalker, he was too stubborn and determined to give in. He took a step off the foremost end, having everyone caught airless for a moment, before twisting and catching the edge and hoisting himself back up. R2 expelled his lightsaber and he would be ready to defend himself in a moment – but first, he had to grab Han by the collar and plant a large kiss on his lips, leaving Han speechless and then enamored, as well as in full support of his kick-ass boyfriend.

**

Luke was overwhelming infuriated. Not specifically because of the nerves around his chest’s scar tissue still giving off oain as an effect of the Sith lightning. No, that was just a minor part. What bothered him the most was he hadn’t been able to save his father for a long span of time. In the sense that he was on the dark side for as long Luke could remember, but also that his rekindled touch with the light side only lasted until his last breath, which was only a few minutes before Luke began to fall down this spiral of emotions. He should have been proud of himself for being able to bring him back at all, but he just felt a wave of failure for not being able to do anything to help him survive past that last moment. He also began to realize Leia, his twin for the force’s sake, likely wasn’t pleased with her lineage at all. This didn’t pertain to Luke per se, but the fact that she was biologically Vader’s daughter, a sworn enemy and the one who destroyed her childhood home, with all of the things she had grown to know along with it. Bail Organa was more of a father to her than, obviously, Vader had ever been, the “chosen one” Anakin Skywalker once in his life or not.

The constant flow of thoughts into his brain was now setting him on the verge of bawling whilst plunged his fingernails into his forehead. Having his late father’s corpse still laid before was no help, either. He knew the only way to properly send him out was with a traditional Jedi burning of the body. He would chose somewhere quiet and isolated to host it, keeping the guest list only down to himself. Now it was a matter of getting off that wretched hunk of metal and finding somewhere to hold this small event.

~

Meanwhile on Endor, everyone nervously prayed for the Death Star shield to come down clean and easy finally. The fatalities had already stacked up, among victims of the craft and its predecessor and also the Stormtroopers killed in the present moment who tried to defend the shield core from the Rebels. Everyone held their breaths until the moment it went down and ships could go in to blow that hunk of junk out of the sky. There was so much anxious tension in the minutes before it gave out and exploded, it continued in Han even after the liberating debris scatter. His throat was gripping at itself in dread and concern as he worried about where Luke was.

“Han, I doubt he was still on there when it went down. I can feel it. So, stop worrying, you huge softie.” Leia’s reassuring tone caught his attention and caused him to stop impaciently tapping his foot against the ground and let out his tension through a deep sigh. He then propped his elbow on top his knee and leaned his face into his palm, realizing too much worrying would make him feel sick as a dog.

“You love him, don’t you?” Leia suddenly interjected.

“Of course I do.” Han responded, confused as to how that could even be a question. Luke was his entire world and more which was clear to everyone.

“Well, I’ll have you know.. He’s my brother. But, you already know the ‘if you hurt him, I’ll kill you’ cliché, so I’ll spare you the lecture.” She hissed, even if it was in a sweet tone. That information as a whole madr Han gulped and sent goosebumps across his entire body. It wasn’t too utterly surprising as they both expressed the same degree of head-strongness shrouding golden hearts. Now it made more sense as to how they shared the same traits and mannerisms despite not growing up together. Now, he was praying for his boyfriend to get his ass back down here quick even more.

**

Han was nearly dozed all the way off when he felt a hard kick to his shin. He had stayed up waiting for Luke to return so they could join the festivities together. But, he had a feeling he might fall asleep doing so, so he warned Leia to wake up him up when Luke arrived. Just, he hadn’t expected by that method.

Nonetheless, he jumped up from his spot on the terrace floor to meet Luke. His excitement was matched by the grin plastered on Luke’s soft face and Han couldn’t help but pick him up and swing them both around. He was in amorous kahoots with the hero of the galaxy, but all that mattered to him in that second was that he was alive and in one piece. Leia patted Han on the back before following a tiny Ewok cub who had playfully tugged at her dress.

Han then dragged Luke along to join the dances and partake in the festivities. Luke’s heart melted at the sight of Han being absolutely in love with him, so much as to let his hardened guard and dry wit down for once. It was a nice change and definitely a side he would be glad to see more often.

Not once the rest of the night did it occur to either party that Luke was Luke Skywalker, savior of the galaxy and the last of the Jedi religion.

**_{–End “Return of The Jedi”–}_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can y'all already tell I accidentally wrote Han too soft,, Just wait until the last chapter woof,,


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens after "Return of the Jedi" ;; the chapter where the fic title makes sense

_Han was a liar. But, Luke would still stand beside him._

With the Empire dissolved, the galaxy could return to a decently normal state. Han returned to smuggling, still joined by Chewie as his co-pilot. But, now, Luke had taken up his offer from years ago to join the smuggler’s life.  Well, more-so, he tagged along. All of the behind the scenes deals and contracts were not his forte, especially as a Jedi knight. Frankly, all of the douchebags and bawds, as well as all the drugs they ingested and considered offering Han, scared him half to death.

Even when they weren’t out pirating, Luke felt out of place. During times that they would visit a Rebel base in delivering supplies or coming to see the status of everything, he felt almost ignored as Han struck his dry wit on Leia or reminisced in vulgarity about past adventures with Lando.  Most of the time, he found a quiet spot among a random stack of supplies to sit and doze off on, only partially coming back to when he ended up in Han’s arms and on the way back to the Falcon. 

Despite going from Luke Skywalker, the one who saved the galaxy and brought the empire to its knees, to a nobody who stuck on Han Solo’s high-tail, he wasn’t going to admit anything or just leave; Han was all he had at that point and he didn’t want to be alone. 

It wasn’t until one evening that he realized Han felt the same.

~

“Luke. What do you mean ‘find the Jedi archives and revive the Jedi school’?” Han inquired, puzzled beyond belief at the sound of that. 

“I mean exactly what I just said. I thought it was straight forward enough. I think it could be nice to  reestablish the Jedi Order and have younglings becoming Padawans again.” Luke explained, his tone wavering between firm and frustrated.

“Fine then. There’s nobody to stop you from doing so.” Han finally said quietly after a long pause, beginning to rap his knuckles on the table before him.

Luke, who was standing across that very table from him, then scanned his partner’s face, his eyes in particular. The hazel had gone sour and was more grey than usual, which was a visual cue as to the storm brewing inside Han. He then felt, without the help of the Force, the hurt that was flowing from Han. Now, Luke had to make an executive decision whether to follow his Jedi aspiration or give it all up for the man he loved. 

In one almost completely fluid one, he was knelt on the floor on one knee. Han nearly jumped all the way out of his seat as he did, not expecting this action from any angle.

“Han Solo. You know I care about the Jedi religion in all its glory and failures. But, if you think I’d sit here trying to restore it than being by your side in a heart beat, then you don’t know me at all.” Luke was grinning by the end of his miniature speech.

“Where did you even–?” Han was still too caught up in bafflement of where Luke could have even acquired a ring and at what point.

“Han. Are you going to make me drop everything I have with you being the reason behind it, or what?” Luke huffed, raising his eyebrows. 

“Well, I wouldn’t step off and allow someone else to, now would I?” Han sarcastically retorted, standing up as Luke rose. He allowed Luke to slip the shimmering ring onto his finger before cupping his face.

“And they call _me_ the scoundrel.”

**

Neither had really dreamt of marriage in any sense. Not to mention, Han would have thought he’d be the one to pop the question, not receive the proposal. 

It was a while before they gathered even the courage to tell anyone of the engagement. They worried everyone would believe they’d lose to much by taking each other’s hands. Given all that Luke had gone through to become a Jedi just to break one of the code’s largest rules. It also gave way to possibility of more of a target than just Han himself if, say, a business deal went south quick. 

But, as far as Force ghost relatives, Anakin couldn’t be one to judge. He married at nineteen and had started a family by twenty-three. Yoda was still somehow in slight disbelief that this smuggler was the one Luke initially left his training to go save. Obi-Wan continuously said he had had a premonition at one point that something like this would happen, the other’s chiding him for always acting as an all-knowing wise one. 

The actual ceremony took so long for them to figure out, Luke had ended up sprouting a beard. It had made him extremely joyous once it came in fully, proving that after all these years of testosterone shots, that it was possible. Not to mention, it had ended up growing in softer than the rest of his hair. 

On the day that they finally wed, Han was also stubble-ridden, but missed Luke by a long shot. Their attire was no less of their usual outfits, just worn a bit nicer than normal. Han, once again, sported the Yavin medal ceremony garb, right down to having tucked the heavy, metal weight under his button shirt. Luke pressed his all-black Jedi outfit the night before and had tied his robe over them. In a marriage between a man and woman, the man would lift the veil off the bride’s face. But, as this was man and Jedi knight, Han lifted Luke’s robe hood off instead. This once Han’s first time seeing the small flowers Leia had woven into  Luke’s golden locks and he nearly stifled a laugh of how cute they were upon laying eyes on them. But, most of all, he was entranced why the rest of the man stood before him. 

Han had watched him grow from innocent and strong-willed farm boy, who couldn’t even manage to get a chest constraint on by himself, into a compassionate and brave hero of a man, who could apparently grow a beard now. It was incredible to think they were the same person at all. Luke could say the same for Han; when they met, Han was selfish and more concerned about his own hide, but now was so, so much more than that. He may have still had an instinct to save himself, but now it included others as well, usually before himself, and turned out to be almost a bigger softie than Chewbacca. 

To break tradition even more, instead of “I do,” Luke accidentally missed the line as he was dazzled by the glittering hazel eyes in front of him, spouting, “I love you,’ instead. Han replied, “I know,” before grasping Luke to kiss him and seal their fate. The dozen guests they had invited all unanimously applauded and stood from their chairs. The, now-married, couple was too occupied in embracing each other to care. Especially as Luke dove into Han’s chest, originally smiling, but now had tears pouring from his eyes. 

“Aww, kid. You’re gonna make me cry, too…” Han sniffed as he felt tears splatter against his shirt. He had already been teary-eyed, but Luke crying was going to get him to start bawling right along with him. He rubbed circles across the whole of Luke’s back until Luke pried himself off to wipe his red eyes on his robe sleeve.  For once, his emotions had caught him and it was justifiable. 

He was now legally bound to the man who shaped him; the first to stand up to protect him, especially given his life circumstance. They had been through too much together to even think about wanting to be apart. Neither wanted to be alone and Luke knew Han more than most, and vice versa. 

And yes, finally, Han, stubborn as he was, could finally allow himself to go on record and say he was the biggest softie for Luke “hero of the galaxy and Jedi knight” Skywalker.

**_{–End Epilogue–}_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The gayest chapter,, And tbh, self projection of Reese and I,, Anyway, thankd for reading if you made it this far!   
> Feel free to ask me questions about it on my tumblr (currently: lukesmugwalker), which happens to be where the fic is originally posted.

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably the shortest chapter?? But, the last part of it was the idea that really started this entire fic. Do hope you enjoy!


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